Conduit and pipe clamp



F. B. THOMSON 1,845,365

CONDUIT AND PIPE CLAMP Feb. 16, 1932.

2 'Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 10. 1929 lllll llllll 7 gm. 'IIIIIIII//-- 001/11.

INVENTOR ATTOR Feb. 16, 1932. F. B. THOMSON 1,845,365

,CONDUIT AND PIPE CLAMP Filed Dec. 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LM I ATTO EY Patented Feb. 16, 1932 air-En ,sTe PA EN FFICE FREDERICK B. THOMSON, or rEANEGm- EW- ERSEY.

oomium'" Am) PIPE. time i A lication filed e ember 10, 1929. Serial No. 413,040.

My invention relates to the electricalart,

in which conduits are employed to protect electric wireslocated within them, and it also relates to support ng plpes used fOl Vttllfl ous purposes,

My invention further relates to certain combinations, details of construction, andarticles of manufacture,whi ch Will be mor fully hereinafter described and pointed: out in theclaims. I

' In the accompanying drawings "th'esa-me reference numerals refer to similarfpartsin the several figures: I I

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofa sheetmetal blank from which myconduit and pipeclampis .formed. r 9

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the'sam'e blank with the stops and flanges bentup.

Fig; 8 is a vertioalcross section, online a 33 of Fig. 2, lookingin the 'direction' of' the arrows.

' Fig. 4 is a longitu'dinal vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2'looking in the'direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe complete clamp. F 6is a front elevation;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary' view, illustrating I the clamp about to be securedtoa previously screws,

positioned screw. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view,"illustrating; I the clamp secured by the screw, and the stops bent back to prevent accidental ment of the clamp and screw.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through the the conduit and clamps being shown d1sengage,

in plan.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section on line 1010' of Fig. 9, looking in the direction o f the Figs. 11, 12 and 13 illustrate a modification. Fig. 11 is aside elevationi i Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view illustrating the clamp about to'be secured to a previously positioned screw. j

Fig. 13 is a fragmentaryview illustrating. the clamp secured by the screw, and the'fixedi stops in position to prevent accidental' dis engagement of the clamp and screw. j

Prior to my invention it has been 'oldto support pipe'by two supporting rigid fingers ceiling, orother support.

which were spaced apart fromeach'other' a distance as great as the diameter of the pipe to beheld, so that the pipe and hanger could be engaged orjdisengaged from each other, simply by rotating the hangerwith relation tothiepip'e.

Such a hanger supported the pipe without gripping or holding it against its own Vibraj tion, orthatof the ceiling'or wall of the building or other support; .M'oreover, such a hang- 6oer was essentially a ceiling hanger. When attempting. to use such a hanger on a side 'wall, to support a' vertical run of pipe, the

pipewould slip-down through the hanger, throwing Iallthe' weight of the pipe on some coupling or-connection instead of distributing the load through the several pipe hangers. Inother words, when used on aside walhsucha hanger wasaguide for thepipe or conduit ratherthan ia'support; and, further, did not prevent rattling "or relative movement be 1 tween the pipe orcondiiit andthe han er.

Such ah'anger was also objectionable int lat it required a plurality of holes forthe af fi2;,-L ing members to be off to. the side of the pipe,

and not in line withthe pip'eor'conduit and did notpermit adjustment of a clamp to compensate for'faulty location 0f the holes in the support, due to carelessworkmanship,"or to adrillmeeting an obstruction in the wallor It is also old to have a clamp with spring arms provided with a'hole for the reception of the shank of a screw or other securing automatic adj ustment ofitlie clamp for 7 any error in locating the screws off center, there by insuring-a quicker and more econom cal installation. My clamp also permits, if desired, the screws, or other securing means, to be pre-set along the wall, ceiling or other support, so that the clamps may be subsequently mounted on the screws.

Further, I provide locking means which will prevent the accidental disengagement of the clamp from the screws, or similar-members. These locking means may be movable, or fixed, asthe case may be.

In the form of myinvention shown in Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive, I take a blank 1 of metal, preferably sheet steel, and provide it' with a slot 2 and with kerfs or cuts 3, 3 Fig. 1. The dotted lines l, 4: in Fig. 1 indicate the line on which the flanges 5, 5 are bent. The dotted lines 6, 6 indicate the lines on which the bendable stops 7, 7 are bent. The dotted lines 8, 8 indicate the lines on which the spring tension members, or arms, 9, 9 are bent.

' The sides of the slot 2 of the blank 1 are then bent as shown in Fig. 2 to form the flanges 5, 5 and thebendable stops 7,7. The ends of the blank are then bent to form the spring tension members, or arms 9, 9, the portion between the arms being the base The blank may be'bent by hand, but is preferably bent in a machine. i i Y In supporting a run of conduit or pipe from a ceiling, wall or other support, holes 11 are drilled into the support 12, if'the support be masonry, concrete, brick, terra cotta or similar material in which a screw 13 cannot be directly fastened. Into each hole 11 a ductilescrew anchor 14,101' other expansion bolt, is fastened, the screw being screwed into it as shown in Fig. 7. After the screw has expandedthebcrew anchor 1 L my conduit clamp is slipped over thehead 15 of the screw, the shank of the screw passing/within the adjusting slot 2, the head being 7. brought into engagement with the inclined surfaces 16, 16 of theflanges 5, 5. This preventstheheadof the screw 15. marring the covering of the conduit, or thepipe. These flanges 5, 5 also space the clamp away from the surface 17 of the ceiling, wall, or other support 12, a distance sufficient to compensate for the thickness of the different couplings 19, Fig. 8 which permit the runs of conduit or pipe 20 to extend in a straight line, rather than in an undulating one as heretofore, due

to bending the conduit or pipe tocompensate for the thickness of the couplings'19.

After the clamp is in position the bendable stops 7, 7 are forced back, usually by one or two blows of a hammer, completely closing the slot 2, Fig. 8,'and preventing any accidental disengagement of the clamp from I the screw head 15.

The run of conduit or pipe 20 is then brought into position, Fig. 9, and the clamps partially rotated on the screws, sufiicient to 9 cause the ends 21, 21 of the spring tension members or arms9, 9 to be sprung over the crown .of the conduit or pipe. This is usually done by means of a hammer 22.

This insures that the conduit or pipe 20 will be firmly and positively gripped or held by the spring tension members or arms 9, 9 preventing rattling, or any relative movement between the .clamp and the conduit or pipe. It also permits my clamp to be used on a side wall to support vertical runs of conduit or pipe, each clampiassisting in carrying the load and transmitting it to the wall. 1

In Fig. 9 it will be seen that the first screw 13, that on theleft, ison center and that the other two are off center. The adjusting slot '2 permits of automatic adjustment of the' clamp to compensate forthe screws o-lfcenter, due to slight error, poor workmanship or to the drill meeting some obstruction in the support.

It will be readily seen that my clamp permits of a quick and economical installation of conduits and pipes that once installed, it is [impossible for the clamp to become acciden- 10. The final form of the clamp is illustrated in Fig. 5.

tally disconnected from the screw or other fastening means. i Y

Should it be desired at some future time to remove the run of conduit or pipe 20, this can'be done byforcingtheends 21, 21, of the tension members of the arms 9, 9 over crown of the conduit or pipe. The clamp can then be removed from the support by bending'out. one of the stops 7, 7 permitting it to-slip over the head 15 of the screw. Or, thescrew may be unthreaded from the screw anchor 1e and removed, with the clamp, without bending one of the stops 7, 7.

I have illustrated in Figs. 11to 13 inclusive a modification inwhich I employ. nonbendable, or rigid stops 107, 107.

. In this form the base 25 is vprovided with an adjusting slot 26, exactly thesameas in the other form, and also provided with flanges 27, 27, similar in all respects with those in the other .figures.

The base is provided with spring tensionmembers 28, 28. Some little distance up one, or both, of the arms 28, 28, I provide a slot 29, preferably shaped to permit the, free passage of the head 15 of the screw 13 Fig.12, and to leave stops 107, 107. While a slot 29 may be formed in both arms 28, 28, I prefer ably provide only one arm with such a slot. In this form of my invention the screws 13 are pre-set in their ductile screw anchors 14;, the same as in the other form, but they are not screwed home permitting their heads 15 to extend out from the surface of the wall, or .ceiling, a little further than in the form illustrated in Fig. 7 f

. In positioning the clamp, Fig. 12, the slot 29 is brought into line with the head 15 of port, without fear of any accidental disengagement between the clamp and screw.

support a conduit or pipe, one or more of the arms being provided with a slot to permit the insertion of a screw or nail head, and with stops to prevent the accidental disengagement of the. said screw or nail head from the adjusting slot. r we FREDERICK B. THOMSON.

In Fig. 11 I have shown the ends 31, 31 of V the arms 28, 28 dished. This gives an increased grip of the tension members or arms 28, 28 upon the conduit or pipe due to the edges 32, 32 biting into, or tending to bite into, the pipe or conduit. Thisv is particularly advantageous in vertical runs of pipe or conduit on side Walls and materially increases the grip of the arms or tension members on the pipe or conduit. It is, of course, to be understood that the ends of the arms in the other form may be also dished if desired.

Having thus described this invention in connection with illustrative embodiments thereof, to the details of which I do not desire to be limited, what is claimed as new and what is desired to secure by Letters'Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A new article of manufacture comprising a conduit ortpipe clamp having a base, means to support a conduit or clamp, and pro-- vided with an adjusting slot to cooperate with a screw, nail, or similar member, and means to prevent accidental disengagement of the clamp and screw, or nail.

2. A new article of manufacture comprising a sheet metal, conduit or pipe clamp having a. base and integralflanges to space the base away from a wall to compensate for they thickness of pipe or conduit couplings, means to support a conduit or clamp, the base being provided with an open adjusting slot to receive the head of a screw or nail or similar member, and means to prevent the accidental disengagement of the screw or nail from said slot. 1

3. A new article of manufacture comprising a sheet metal, conduit or pipe clamp having a base and integral flanges to space the base away from a wall to compensate for the thickness of pipe or conduit couplings, means to support a conduito-r clamp,-the base being provided with an open adjusting slot to receive the head of a. screw or nail or similar member, and integral bendable stops to prevent the accidental disengagement of. the

screw or nail from said slo l. A new article of manufacturecomprisp ing a sheet metal, conduit or pipe clamp having a base with an adjusting slot adapted to i receive the head of a nail or screw or similar.

member, and provided with integral arms to 

